Ceanothus cuneatus is a spreading bush, rounded to sprawling, reaching up to 3 meters (9.8 ft) in height.

It is about half a centimeter wide and contains three shiny dark seeds which are dispersed when the capsule explodes and propels them some distance.

Harvester ants have been known to catch the seeds, which can lie dormant for a long time since fire is required for germination.

This plant may be variable in appearance because it hybridizes easily with similar species.

While this shrub has a wide distribution in its range, certain varieties of the species are limited to small areas.